It’s a curious thing that no one is making a detailed, specific case for growth in the Portland region.

Sure there are a lot of general statements supporting the creation and maintenance of good jobs. Folks easily acknowledge the need for more housing in the region. Many people see the need for a more robust regional transit system. And the drumbeat is constant around our workforce shortage.

But no one is putting all the pieces together into a coherent story that explains exactly what growth should look like, how growth should benefit our communities, and why growth is imperative to our future.

That sounds like a Chamber job to me, and so it is. In 2016 the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce will make the case for growth in the City and throughout the region. We’ll produce specific data-driven goals for population, jobs and income growth over the next 5 and 10 years that we can demonstrate will support the things we love about our communities, like good schools and vibrant communities, while also assuring a positive economic future for everyone in our region.

Growth means change, and change demands explanation and understanding if it’s going to be successful. Stagnation means change too, and sadly when we fail to understand how growth can secure our individual and community future we let stagnation drive changes that eventually threaten the very things we were fighting to save.

Maine is one of two states in the nation where deaths exceed births. We needs to grow in order to prosper. And someone needs to make the case for the kind of growth that supports what’s best in our communities, and provides the investments and opportunities needed to sustain and improve the lives of everyone in the region.